Does concept-oriented reading instruction increase strategy use and conceptual learning from text?

The authors define reading engagement as the mutual support of motivations, strategies, and conceptual knowledge during reading. To increase reading engagement, a collaborative team designed a year-long integration of reading/language arts and science instruction (Concept-Oriented Reading Instruction, CORI). The authors compared students who received this instruction to similar students who received traditionally organized instruction aimed toward the same objectives. A path analysis showed that CORI had a positive effect on strategy use and text comprehension for students at Grades 3 and 5 when accounting for past achievement and prior knowledge. CORI also had a positive, indirect effect on conceptual knowledge mediated by strategy use, and this instruction facilitated conceptual transfer indirectly through several paths simultaneously. The findings are discussed in relation to a growing literature on instructional contexts for motivated strategy use and conceptual learning from text. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Memory for prose as a function of learning strategy and inspection time.

Describes 2 experiments each employing 60 undergraduates as Ss. Exp I showed that (a) providing specific instructions (goal directed or directed forgetting) about how to process a passage induced readers to study most of the material at a slower pace, and (b) when Ss were told to place special emphasis on some of the material, they spent more time on the material that was not emphasized as well as on the material that was emphasized, but without a similar increase in learning. Exp II showed that the increase in inspection time for the emphasized material was necessary for increased learning of these sentences to occur. It is concluded that both the type of processing and the duration of processing influence retention in goal-directed learning tasks. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Learner-generated organizational aids: Effects on learning from text.

Compared the effects on learning from text of 4 contexts (topic sentences, headings, related sentences, and unrelated sentences) when they were generated by readers or provided in text. 133 female undergraduates read a 522-word passage based on 15 related topics within a conceptual hierarchy on minerals, and performance under each of the treatments was examined on a free recall test, matching test, and test for knowledge of passage structure. The contexts had differential effects on knowledge of passage structure only when they were generated; readers who generated topic sentences recalled more than all other learners. The provided contexts had no effect on knowledge of passage structure but increased recall of subordinate information over generated contexts. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Word learning in predictable text.

Predictable text has become widely used for beginning readers but has not been the subject of much research. This study used predictable books to compare 3 reading treatments reflecting different components of a whole-to-part instructional model. In 3 first-grade classrooms, beginning readers working with isolated words in a modified word bank activity learned more words than when they worked with sentence strips. They also learned more words using sentence strips than when they simply read and reread the books. There was a significant treatment effect, justifying the theoretical position that beginning readers learn more words when those words are removed from the supportive context offered by predictable text. Students with higher levels of literacy skill learned 5 times as many words as those with lower levels. The overall number of words learned in these predictable books appears limited. These findings have important implications for the use of texts in beginning reading programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Postreading question–answer interactions and children's learning from text.

111 average and above-average 5th grade students read 1 of 7 short, nonnarrative passages and wrote answers to a set of either textually explicit (TE), textually implicit (TI), schema-based (SB), or text-irrelevant (control) questions. One week later Ss were given a written free-recall test. The results of the analysis of the S's responses to the treatment questions indicate that TE and TI questions promoted text-based question–answer interactions, whereas SB questions promoted both text-based and SB interactions. The recall data indicate that TI question–answer interactions resulted in the generation of larger proportions of text-based inferences than the other types of interactions, without any loss in the amount of explicit information, text-based inferences, and SB inferences. Finally, SB question–answer interactions and interactions with text-irrelevant questions both resulted in larger proportions of SB inferences than either TE or TI interactions. These results are consistent with a schema–theoretic view of reading comprehension. (14 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparative effects of adjunct postquestions and instructions on learning from text.

Two experiments investigated whether instructions to students about how and what to learn can facilitate learning as effectively as adjunct postquestions. In Exp I, 4 groups of 20 undergraduates each were tested: a read-only control group, an adjunct-question group, an instruction group, and an adjunct question plus instruction group. All groups performed significantly better than the control group on a test that required recall of verbatim factual information. Incidental questions were answered somewhat better by instruction Ss than by adjunct-question Ss. The 2nd experiment, with 87 adult males, replicated Exp I, except that the adjunct and test questions were derived by paraphrasing factual information from the text. Instructions on how to study for paraphrase test questions were developed for the instruction groups. All groups performed significantly better than the control group. When adjunct postquestions were repeated on the final test, they were answered somewhat better by the 2 adjunct question groups than by the instruction group. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interactive effects of text-based and task-based importance on learning from text.

Examined, in 3 experiments, the interactive effects of text-based importance (i.e., intrinsically important information such as main ideas) and task-based importance (i.e., information made important by a task) on recall for text. Exp 1 indicated that information relevant to an encoding task was recalled better than was task-irrelevant information. Exp 2 revealed an interaction between text-based and task-based importance. Information that was relevant to a task was recalled well regardless of its text-based importance. Information that was not relevant was recalled better if it was of high text-based rather than of low text-based importance. Exp 3 indicated interactive effects at both encoding and retrieval. Readers used flexible, compensatory strategies that reflected a trade-off between text-based and task-based importance. The use of multiple strategies occurred spontaneously without specific experimenter-based instructions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Quantitative and qualitative effects of repetition on learning from technical text.

Conducted 3 experiments with 147 undergraduate Ss to test predictions related to the effect of repetition, levels, categorization, and processing strategy on retention. Ss listened to a taped lecture on the topic of exposure meters for 35-mm cameras and were tested after 1, 2, or 3 presentations. Combined results indicate the influence of a repetition effect, in which the amount of correctly recalled information increased with repetition; no repetition effect was observed, however, when Ss were given an advance organizer prior to the 1st presentation. Also observed was a levels effect, in which structurally important information was remembered better than unimportant information, an effect that increased with repetition. In addition, a category effect was demonstrated, whereby functionally important information was remembered better than unimportant information, with increased effect following repetition. Primacy and recency were observed to be strong predictors of recall on the 1st presentation, while structural importance was a strong predictor of recall on the 3rd presentation, suggesting that repetition produces both a quantitative increase in amount learned and qualitative change in the reader's processing strategy. (13 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of different types of organizers on students' learning from text.

Prior to reading a text about computer crime and prevention, eighth graders read one of four types of operationally defined organizers: concept, analogy, outline, or dummy. While reading the text, students matched paragraphs of the text to numbered sections in the organizer, leaving a trace that was scored to reflect their actual use of the organizer while reading the text. Multiple regression analyses of multiple-choice and short answer achievement measures showed no main effects of type of organizer. However, students in true advance organizer groups (concept and analogy) who were able to use the organizers effectively, as indicated by higher trace scores, outperformed students in the outline and dummy groups. Analysis of trace scores revealed that students had difficulty connecting information in the concept and analogy organizers to the text. These findings indicate that simply presenting a genuine advance organizer does not guarantee that students will use it effectively. However, when students did use an advance organizer effectively, achievement increased slightly. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A comparison of pictorial and written adjunct aids in learning from text.

Compared the effects of pictorial and written (questions) adjunct aids interspersed through text on factual recall. 63 undergraduates read 1 of the following forms of text: questions before relevant passage, questions after, pictures before, pictures after, questions and pictures before, questions and pictures after, no adjunct aids. Results show that reader-generated pictures and experimenter-provided questions were equally facilitative and resulted in increased retention over the control group. Question position effects characteristic of mathemagenic studies were replicated. Identical position effects were demonstrated for reader-generated pictures used as adjunct aids. Implications for mathemagenics and prose learning are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Simplification as a strategy for research in psychotherapy.

Simplification as a strategy whereby phenomena originally observed in their natural setting are abstracted and, usually, transferred to a laboratory setting is discussed in the context of psychotherapy. 4 types of simplifications utilized in research in psychotherapy were reviewed. 3 rules for achieving acceptable simplifications are described and applied to the 4 types of simplifications that have been used. While simplification can be expected to play an important part in the accumulation of knowledge, control without simplification and other naturalistic research will need to be continued. (31 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Elaboration techniques that increase the meaningfulness of technical text: An experimental test of the learning strategy hypothesis.

In 5 experiments, 160 university students and 26 high school juniors with no computer experience read a text on computer programming and engaged in 1 of the following learning strategies: advance organizer, model elaboration, comparative elaboration, normal reading (control). Results of transfer tests indicated a pattern in which the treatment groups relative to the control group excelled in the ability to put the information together in a novel way (far transfer) but not in retention of single pieces of information. In addition, results of recall tests indicate that of all idea units recalled, treatment Ss produced a greater proportion of conceptual idea units than did controls. Findings suggest that elaboration techniques can be applied to "real-world" materials and can result in more integrated, broader learning outcomes. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Drawing as a generative activity and drawing as a prognostic activity.

In this study, 9th-grade students (N = 196) with a mean age of 14.7 years read a scientific text explaining the chemical process of doing laundry with soap and water and then took 3 tests. Students who were instructed to generate drawings during learning scored higher than students who only read on subsequent tests of transfer (d = 0.91), retention (d = 0.87), and drawing (d = 2.00). For students who were instructed to generate drawings during learning, those who generated high-accuracy drawings (according to a median split) scored higher than students who generated low-accuracy drawings on subsequent tests of transfer (d = 0.99), retention (d = 0.79), and drawing (d = 1.87); furthermore, drawing-accuracy scores during learning correlated with learning-outcome scores on transfer (r = .57), retention (r = .50), and drawing (r = .82). Results suggest that drawing can serve as a generative activity and as a prognostic activity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reader beliefs and meaning construction in narrative text.

This research examined how transmission and transaction beliefs about reading affect comprehension, engagement, and holistic understanding of narrative text. Transaction beliefs, which emphasize reader-generated meaning, were related positively to the type and number of reader responses as well as to the sophistication of one's holistic interpretation. Transmission beliefs, which emphasize understanding the author's intended meaning, were unrelated to all outcome measures. Transmission and transaction beliefs were unrelated to each other. These findings support the view that transaction beliefs facilitate meaning construction of narrative text, whereas transmission beliefs do not. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychotherapy as a learning process.

If one accepts the view that psychotherapy is a learning process, then greater efforts should be made to develop treatment methods derived from our knowledge of learning and motivation. The learning mechanisms of counterconditioning, extinction, discrimination, reward, punishment, and social imitation are discussed as well as the pertinent research in which these principles were applied to psychotherapy. Some of the more prevalent criticisms of the learning approach to psychotherapy are answered. From Psyc Abstracts 36:02:2IF43B. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development and evaluation of a learning strategy training program.

Developed an interactive learning strategy system consisting of primary and support strategies. A set of training procedures was also created to facilitate the communication of this system to college-age students. This system was assessed in the context of a 15-wk (2 hrs/wk) learning skills course with 108 Ss. Results indicate that Ss receiving this training exhibited (p?     

A prototype strategy for construction of personality scales.

Examined the predictive validity of different strategies for constructing personality scales. The Adjective Check List (ACL) was used as a common item pool to construct sets of 8 scales by each of 6 strategies. A prototype strategy was introduced as a proposed improvement on rational scale construction methodology. Its validity was compared with 4 traditional strategies (empirical, factor analytic, rational, and internal consistency) and 1 random strategy in predicting 8 criterion measures. Ss were 234 paid fraternity males (aged 18–26 yrs) who supplied ACL responses and 8 criterion measures in the form of peer ratings. Included in the 8 criteria were peer ratings on the traits of achievement, dominance, nurturance, affiliation, exhibition, autonomy, aggression, and deference. Zero-order correlational analyses were followed by multiple-regression procedures used in a double cross-validation design. The prototype strategy was statistically superior to all of the other strategies, and further research on this methodology is urged. (43 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Visual argument: Graphic organizers are superior to outlines in improving learning from text.

Most research on graphic organizers (i.e., figural organizations of text information) has failed to simulate actual classroom learning. Typically, studies have used short, poorly organized text, single graphic organizers, and immediate tests measuring only factual knowledge. Also, there is no convincing evidence that graphic organizers are better than outlines. Two experiments were conducted that represented attempts to address these problems in answering the question, "What types of text information do graphic organizers and outlines help college students learn?" Results revealed that when given enough time, students studying graphic organizers learned more hierarchical and coordinate relations, and as a result, they were more successful in applying that knowledge and in writing integrated essays than students studying outlines or text alone. These findings are discussed in terms of efficient indexing through visual argument. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)